The Philip DeFranco Show - PDS 9.12 Revenge Video Leaked, Taylor Swift vs Drew Barrymore, Catastrophic Libya Floods, & Today's News

Episode Date: September 12, 2023

Just go to https://www.zocdoc.com/phil and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Then find and book a top-rated doctor today! Go to https://www.stamps.com/phil to get a 4 week trial plus free postage and ...a digital scale! Go Buy http://WakeandMakeCoffee.com 50% OFF select orders! This new batch won’t last long. Catch up on our latest PDS: https://youtu.be/L1AZ_AM2jIQ?feature=shared Check out our daily newsletter! http://dailydip.co/pds  Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phillydefranco/?hl=en  –✩ TODAY’S STORIES ✩ – 00:00 - Family Held at Gunpoint by Police As They Try to Save Their Dying Dog 02:33 - Explicit Video of Female House of Delegates Candidate Leaked 05:24 - Drew Barrymore Under Fire for Resuming Talk Show Amid Strikes 08:40 - Philadelphia Manhunt Escalates as Police Say the Fugitive Has a Gun  10:46 - Sponsored by ZocDoc 11:55 - House GOP to Open Impeachment Inquiry into Biden 13:53 - WWE, UFC Officially Merge into TKO Group 16:09 - Check on Your Friends Who are Jets Fans 17:04 - Sponsored by Stamps  18:05 - 10,000 Missing in Libya after Catastrophic Flood  19:36 - Colorado Voters File Suit to Keep Trump off 2024 Ballot Under 14th Amendment  23:14 - What You All Thought of Yesterday’s News ——————————   Produced by: Cory Ray Edited by: James Girardier, Maxx Enright, Julie Goldberg, Christian Meeks Art Department: William Crespo Writing/Research: Philip DeFranco, Brian Espinoza, Lili Stenn, Maddie Crichton, Star Pralle, Chris Tolve  ———————————— #DeFranco #TaylorSwift #LoganPaul ———————————— Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Today we're talking about shocking explicit videos being leaked and how it could actually impact women's rights. A family was held at gunpoint by cops as they were desperately trying to save their dying dog. The murderer who escaped prison by crab walking up a wall is now armed with a rifle as police lead a frantic manhunt. Kevin McCarthy is launching an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden. And why Drew Barrymore is getting absolutely slammed by the internet but she's not going to be the last one. We're talking about all that and so much more on today's extra large Philip DeFranco show you daily dive into the news powered quite literally by Wake & Make Coffee. Not only is it so smooth and delicious, especially when you compare it to the burnt, bitter Green Lady coffee,
Starting point is 00:00:31 it's a smart money decision. Since you can get your first bags over at wakeandmakecoffee.com for 50% off right now, you're talking like 50 cents for a cup of coffee instead of paying $3.50 to $6 at a coffee shop. But that said, we got a lot of news to talk about today, so let's just jump into it. Starting with, when you're trying to save a life, the last thing you need is a gun pointed in your face. But that's exactly what this New Mexico family got when their labradoodle Stella ran into the street
Starting point is 00:00:52 outside their home and got hit by a car. With immediately, the dad, William, his wife Tara, and their 16-year-old son, Remy, hopping into their own car and began speeding down Interstate 550 to get to the nearest emergency vet. But as they expected might happen, a cop flashed their light, so they pulled over. With William saying what he imagined the cop would do was,
Starting point is 00:01:06 he'd say something to me, and then maybe even help us get there. Driver, step out of the vehicle! Face the away from me! Step back! Step back! Now this father, who's being made to walk barefoot backwards towards traffic on a busy interstate,
Starting point is 00:01:18 pleads with the officer to let him go. The cop just replies, I don't give a fuck, and when three more cops arrive, they all point their guns at the mother and son as well. Meanwhile, the son's getting handcuffed too, and the whole family's repeatedly trying to explain what's going on. My dog's gonna die. My dog's about to die. She's going to die. She got hit by a car. Come to me. My dog's gonna die. My neighbor hit my dog. That's my son and my wife. Please, sir. My dog's about to die. With eventually one of the cops convincing the
Starting point is 00:01:44 first officer to just let them go, and he removes the father's handcuffs. They're giving this curt goodbye. Here's something else. Here's something else, sir. Good luck with your dogs. And then the family finally makes it to the vet, but they're too late and Stella died shortly afterward.
Starting point is 00:01:56 And so now the ACLU is alleging excessive force, with its new Mexico legal director saying, this is why people are fearful of the police. Quoting out that the family had no weapons, no warrants, they didn't appear to lead the officer on any pursuit. And as for the other side, the officer said in his report that he pointed his gun at quote, the immediate threat and yelled at the driver
Starting point is 00:02:12 to get back inside the vehicle. And adding that the driver quote, looked mad with his hands clenched in the air. But the video shows that in fact, the officer told William to get out of the car and his hands were simply raised, not clenched. Though some relevant details are still unclear here, like how fast the car was going
Starting point is 00:02:24 or exactly how long it took them to stop, with the family saying they pulled over immediately, but the cop claiming they kept going for some period of time. And so with all that, I gotta pass the question off to you. What are your thoughts here? And then sexually explicit videos have been leaked of a candidate who could help determine the political future of Virginia, where we absolutely have to talk about this story involving Susanna Gibson. She's a nurse practitioner who's running in a highly competitive district for a super crucial seat on the Virginia House of Delegates, with the district she's running for, a suburban area outside of Richmond being one of seven toss-ups that will ultimately decide the
Starting point is 00:02:50 fate of the House. You know, a real nail-biter with Republicans right now having a super narrow majority in the House of just 49 to 46. Also making this even more high stakes is the Senate's also at play here, with Democrats trying to hold their majority, which currently sits at 22 to 18. And part of the reason that matters is that Gibson's campaign could actually decide whether the state's Republican governor can enact his conservative agenda, which very notably in this day and age includes a sweeping abortion ban. So there's a ton on the line, and yesterday, huge news broke. It was revealed that Gibson and her husband had livestreamed themselves having sex on a porn site and asked viewers to give them tips to perform certain acts.
Starting point is 00:03:18 With this first being reported by the Washington Post, which said they were alerted to the videos by a Republican operative who claimed to have no connections to the campaign of Gibson's opponent or, quote, other groups active in Virginia elections this year. And according to the report, Gibson live streamed the sex acts on Chatterbait, a legal porn site that is now password protected and where Gibson and her husband had more than 5,700 followers. And while the videos were streamed live, the Post reported that those streams are often archived on other publicly available sites. And the outlet finding more than a dozen videos of Gibson and her husband that had been archived on another site in September after Gibson entered the race.
Starting point is 00:03:46 Also in those videos, Gibson is reportedly seen speaking directly at her computer stream and asking viewers to provide tips, paid through tokens purchased on the site to perform certain acts. But the post also there for some reason noting that that solicitation appears to violate Cheddar Raitt's terms and conditions. As if like that's the main story here. But that said, as far as how Gibson has responded to this, in a written statement to the Post, she called the videos an illegal invasion of my privacy designed to humiliate me and my family, and adding, it won't intimidate me and it won't silence me. My political opponents and their Republican allies have proven they're willing to commit a sex crime to attack me and my family because there's no line they won't cross to silence women when they speak up. They are trying to silence me because they want to silence you, and I won't let that happen. But
Starting point is 00:04:22 they're going on to accuse her opponent and his allies of stooping to the worst gutter politics while signaling she has no intentions of dropping out of the race. Saying there's too much at stake in this election and I'll never stop fighting for our community. And also with this, you had Gibson's lawyer telling the Post that Gibson was not aware that the streams had been archived and posted on other sites and did not authorize that. With him then going on to say that the dissemination of those videos
Starting point is 00:04:40 was a violation of Virginia's revenge porn law, which makes it a crime to maliciously distribute nude or sexual images of another person with intent to coerce, harass, or intimidate. Which is why the attorney told the Associated Press, a criminal act has occurred here, and that's the dissemination of revenge porn by a Republican operative. And actually, very notably, specifically citing past precedent. According to a 2021 ruling from the Virginia Court of Appeals, it determined it was illegal for a man to record his girlfriend in a sexual encounter, even if he didn't show it to other people. With the court specifically ruling there, that consent to be seen is not the same as consent to be recorded. Which is also why Gibson's lawyer said that he's working closely with the FBI
Starting point is 00:05:10 and local prosecutors to bring the wrongdoers to justice. But, of course, when we're talking about situations like this, there is the legal aspect of this, but then there's also the court of public opinion. And arguably, the damage has already been done. With this sparking a massive debate, some people saying she posted this publicly, and this should disqualify her from the race.
Starting point is 00:05:23 Meanwhile, you have others arguing, no, this was a choice she made for herself. Nothing illegal happened. And for me personally, I don't care who you're fucking as long as it's consensual with someone of age. And ideally, if you're also a politician, not the American people. But for now, that's where we are on this story. It's going to be interesting to see how it affects polling, how it affects the rest of this race. But with all that, I got to ask, what are your thoughts here? And then Drew Barrymore is a scab. That is what a lot of people are saying thanks to the news that her talk show resumed filming yesterday. Though the studio is claiming that it's in compliance with the ongoing writers
Starting point is 00:05:50 and actors strike. But you had Drew breaking this news on Instagram writing, I am also making the choice to come back for the first time in this strike for our show that may have my name on it, but this is bigger than just me. I own this choice. We are in compliance with not discussing or promoting film and television that is struck of any kind, and saying I want to be there to provide what writers do so well, which is a way to bring us together or help us make sense of the human experience. I hope for a resolve for everyone as soon as possible. And with that, you had outlets like The Hollywood Reporter noting that for the most part, daytime talk shows have been allowed to film during the strike because most don't actually employ union writers.
Starting point is 00:06:20 But Drew Barrymore's show has actually been one of the few exceptions here. And even though a spokesperson for CBS Media Ventures told the outlet that, quote, the Drew Barrymore show will not be performing any writing work covered by the WGA strike, many just aren't buying it. In fact, you're the WGA quickly firing back and saying, this Drew Barrymore TV show is a WGA covered struck show that is planning to return without its writers. The Guild has and will continue to picket struck shows that are in production during the strike. Any writing on the Drew Barrymore show is in violation of WGA strike rules. We've seen tons of writers and actors condemning her choice, some just calling her a scab, others like Adam Conover writing. This is
Starting point is 00:06:52 incredibly disappointing. Drew Barrymore's show employs WGA writers who are currently on strike. She is choosing to go back on the air without them and forcing her guests to cross a picket line. Drew, this harms your writers and all union workers. Please reconsider. And others explaining by going back on the air without her writers, Drew Barrymore is 100% ensuring that someone, either herself, one of her non-writing producers, or all of the above, will be doing the writing work that WGA writers normally do. And so now you have people picketing outside the show. With it also being reported that at least two audience members were kicked out for wearing pins that said, Those two claiming they were verbally assaulted by a security guard. With all of that piled on top of everything else, you had people essentially comparing Drew to a movie villain.
Starting point is 00:07:27 And of course, Drew's not the first person to face backlash amid these strikes, but she's also likely not the last with several other daytime shows that also employ WGA writers now potentially following her show's lead and announcing they'll resume production as well. So that's why you have more and more people trying to emphasize and point to the stars who are doing things right, or the ones who are going out of their way to support workers. And actually on that front, you recently had the likes of SAG's chief negotiator, Duncan Crabtree Ireland, speaking about Taylor Swift and her upcoming concert movie. We'll have a conversation at the Toronto International Film Festival saying, That concert movie is covered by a SAG-AFTRA interim agreement.
Starting point is 00:07:57 She came to us and said she wanted to do this, but only if she could do it the right way under a union contract. And we said, that's great. And so she fulfilled all the same criteria as anybody else also further praising taylor for standing with workers and music as well specifically for the deal that she signed with universal records when she changed her record label to universal as part of her negotiation over that she negotiated to ensure that when universal sells any stake that it has in Spotify, that it will
Starting point is 00:08:26 share the proceeds of that with the artists who are on the Universal label, not just her, but all of the artists on the Universal label. And so I think that's a really tremendous thing that she did. But that is where we are with these ongoing strikes. And of course, I'd love to know your thoughts on this. And then the murderer on the loose in Pennsylvania has humiliated state police. It's been almost two weeks since 34-year-old Danilo Cavalcante escaped from prison by crab-walking up a wall and diving through razor wire. With him, like we talked about last week, having just been sentenced to life without parole for stabbing his ex-girlfriend to death. And according to authorities, he did that because she found out about another homicide he's wanted for in Brazil and threatened to report him to the police. So for almost the first week of the manhunt, police had Cavalcante cornered inside of a search area no more than a few miles from the prison.
Starting point is 00:09:05 But over the weekend, he ended up slipping through a tightly guarded police perimeter, stole a white Ford Transit from a dairy farm, and drove more than 20 miles to East Pikeland Township in Phoenixville. And there, he reportedly sought help from two former co-workers with a doorbell camera catching him on Saturday at one of their homes. With him there now appearing clean-shaven and dressed in a dark-billed baseball cap, a yellow or green hoodie, green prison pants, and white shoes. Then, on Monday night, a motorist reported seeing him near Fairview Road at around 8 p.m. And about two hours later, a homeowner reportedly fired several shots at Cavalcante after finding the fugitive inside the garage stealing a rifle. But apparently, he got away, so you have the authorities saying he is now armed with a.22 caliber rifle, and there's no evidence he was injured. With them also giving an updated description of him as shirtless with blue pants, adding that his van was found abandoned at a barn, so presumably he's on foot. And so now police believe that he fled north towards South Coventry Township in Chester County, northwest of Philadelphia.
Starting point is 00:09:51 So with that, they've set up a new search perimeter there, and are warning residents to lock all their doors, windows, secure vehicles, and remain indoors. And they are throwing resources at this. You've now got more than 500 law enforcement officers from multiple agencies looking for this killer with the help of drones, helicopters, cop cars, armored vehicles, dogs, and even horses. And with all those resources at their disposal, police have increasingly been criticized for not catching this guy already. Because not only does it put local residents in danger, it also terrorizes the towns that he's passing through and forces schools to close. But also, in their defense, authorities say they were
Starting point is 00:10:20 at a severe disadvantage last week with the densely wooded hills, massive underground tunnel system, large drainage ditches, and thick vegetation making it easy to hide. With officials describing having to hack away at brush so thick that searchers couldn't see one another a few yards away. But now, police believe that they'll have an easier time flushing him out because it's in a more heavily populated urban setting. And they believe the fact that he took the risk to contact people that he hadn't spoke to in years is evidence that he is growing more desperate. And if you or someone you know happens to have any information, know that the reward for information leading to his arrest is now $25,000. And then I think we can all agree that when it comes to our health, we all think that it's pretty important, right? But the reality
Starting point is 00:10:51 of that situation is one of the biggest problems lies with finding the right doctor who suits you and everything after that. Finding the right doctor is already tough enough, but then you have to get an appointment, one that lines up with your schedule. Oh, and then the most important thing, do they actually take your insurance? Well, thanks to the fantastic partner and sponsor of today's show, ZocDoc, you can finally take one to-do off your list. Just download the free app millions of others are using to find and book amazing doctors online who are right for you and take your insurance. We're talking about booking appointments with thousands of top-rated patient review doctors and specialists. You can also filter specifically for ones who take your insurance or located near
Starting point is 00:11:23 you and treat almost any condition that you're searching for. The average wait time to see a doctor booked on ZocDoc is between 24 and 72 hours. I mean, sometimes you score same day appointments with doctors who have verified reviews from actual real patients, not bots. And the app is so easy to use. And it's not just about finding your general practitioner, right? You can find specialists as well. Dermatologists, dentists, psychiatrists, eye doctors, I could go on. So just go to ZocDoc.com slash Phil and download the ZocDoc app for free. Then just find and book a top rated doctor today. That's Z-O-C-D-O-C.com slash Phil. ZocDoc.com slash Phil. And then in huge breaking news this morning, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy announced that he is directing
Starting point is 00:11:59 three committees to open an impeachment inquiry into President Biden, with McCarthy telling reporters at the Capitol that the probe would focus on whether Biden improperly benefited from the business dealings of his son, Hunter, and saying, These are allegations of abuse of power, obstruction, and corruption, and they warrant further investigation by the House of Representatives. That's why today, I am directing our House committee to open a formal impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. And this is a huge deal, of course, on its own, full stop. But the way McCarthy went about this also adds a whole other level.
Starting point is 00:12:32 McCarthy is acting unilaterally here, asking for an impeachment inquiry to be started by just a few members on a few panels. And this, despite the fact that he had previously said that he wanted the full House to vote on moving forward with an impeachment inquiry, as it's been done for past presidential impeachments. But hey, I guess promises don't mean anything if you later realize they might not benefit you personally. And I say that because that seems to be exactly what's happening here. Because it's been widely reported that there's absolutely zero certainty that Republicans will have enough votes to actually impeach Biden. There's actually a lot of division behind the scenes among the party. Hell, some members in both the House and Senate have even explicitly and publicly come out against an impeachment inquiry, with many saying they
Starting point is 00:13:04 would not vote for an inquiry if Republicans can't present any evidence directly tying President Biden to a criminal act. But the committees have spent months investigating the matter, and they've offered zero proof so far, even though they have repeatedly said they have enough evidence to justify an impeachment inquiry. And so what we ended up seeing was McCarthy going around the usual process, and he's able to avoid what could have been a fatal blow to the GOP's impeachment efforts. But at the same time, he's also basically admitting that he doesn't think he has enough votes to proceed with the pro, which of course further undermines his case while bolstering claims that this is all a
Starting point is 00:13:30 political ploy. And as far as why he would do that while simultaneously going against his own past remarks on the need for a full floor vote, well, I mean, it's self-preservation. Where this move has largely been seen as a last ditch effort to appease a bunch of the far right party who have threatened to remove McCarthy from the speakership over a spending fight that could shut down the government. A small group in the House that some dismiss, but have effectively been the tail wagging the dog this year. But yeah, I guess just another fun great day in the shitshow that is the U.S. government. And then the WWE and the UFC have officially tied the knot, with the merger making headlines this morning and the two companies now
Starting point is 00:14:00 operating under a new company called TKO Group, which also started trading on the New York Stock Exchange today. Reportedly, TKO Group has a valuation of around $21 billion and will have an estimated $2.5 billion in annual revenue. With Endeavor, the UFC's parent company, saying the combination of the two fan bases reaches about a billion people. And notably, the executive team will have some familiar faces, including Vince McMahon as the executive chairman and Dana White, who will maintain his role as UFC CEO. However, many are saying that there are still a lot of questions regarding this merger that have been left with either unsatisfactory answers or no answers at all. Earlier this year, when the merger was announced, many big names on both sides openly discussed and wondered about more crossover between the organizations.
Starting point is 00:14:34 Which, I mean, fighters moving between pro wrestling and MMA isn't a new concept. I mean, in the early days of the UFC, some of the biggest names in the sport were pro wrestlers like Ken Shamrock and Dan Saburn. And more recently, you have examples like Ronda Rousey, Brock Lesnar, Matt Riddle. Also, I'm aware CM Punk also tried to fight, but that's like, that's more of a depressing note. But, you know, the deal has prompted more questions of, are we going to see more of that? I mean, hell, you even had Conor McGregor, arguably one of the most recognizable faces in the UFC, sharing this photo of him carrying both title belts from the UFC and the WWE. And at the time, right back in April, UFC CEO Dana White says it was unlikely
Starting point is 00:15:01 we'll see much change with this merger, but it isn't ruling out some fighter movement like we've seen in the past. Saying that while it's rare to have talent move either direction, there are athletes that could make it work. And specifically citing Logan Paul saying, Have you seen his wrestling? I don't know jack s*** about wrestling, okay? But let's tell you what I do know. They hit a f***ing home run with that guy.
Starting point is 00:15:22 And whatever you feel about Logan Paul aside, he has captured the attention of a lot of people, whether it be the fan base of the WWE or several people within the UFC, like UFC announcer Bruce Buffer, with him chiming in about Logan making the switch to MMA and noting that Logan could bring some serious attention to the UFC,
Starting point is 00:15:36 saying when you have an influencer like him that has such a far reach, you will bring eyeballs to the UFC that have not even gone onto the UFC. However, not everyone's on board with the idea of bouncing between the organizations. The popular UFC fighter, Kevin Holland, who might have otherwise fit into the WWE
Starting point is 00:15:48 with his big personality and penchant for shit talks, and he's not on board with the scripted matches of the WWE saying, I fight, I don't fake fight. Also with this merger, some have wondered if it means that the UFC and Dana White are gonna start paying fighters better, though, I mean, I wouldn't count on it. But hey, I'm more than open to being wrong.
Starting point is 00:16:02 And as far as whatever comes from this merger, we're gonna have to wait to see. But if you are a fan of the WWE and or the UFC, what are your thoughts about this merger? And then, even if you do not care about sports, I just have to say, if you have a Jets fan in your life, check up on them today. Because last night, after months of being tricked into having hope for some reason, Aaron Rodgers, who is being touted as the savior of the New York Jets, had gone. Can't even say it. Four plays into the game, he had a season-ending injury.
Starting point is 00:16:32 And while the Jets then went on to win a roller coaster of a game. And we were hollering this morning. It was the high of winning a game we shouldn't have won was gone. And it was just sadness. Further confirmation that we root for one of the most cursed teams in professional sports. So Jets fans, remember, it's easy to root for a good team. It's character building to be a Jets fan. To have that hope and to try to buy into it, only to be let down repeatedly. So put on that fake happy smile, say Zach Wilson season 2.0.
Starting point is 00:16:58 The era begins today. And worst case, take up fantasy football so you can watch the entire season if things don't go well. And then the heat of summer may still be on your mind, but if you have a business of any size, it's also the time to start thinking about getting ready for the holiday ramp up. So thank you stamps.com slash Phil for the reminder and for sponsoring today's show.
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Starting point is 00:18:17 flooding, it's believed that at least 2,000 people have died, which would make it the second deadliest flooding in North Africa in the past century so far. And unfortunately, I have to add that caveat of so far, because there's a very good chance that the number of dead could sharply rise because there are 10,000 people still missing. The worst hit city is believed to be Derna in the east of Libya. And not only was it hit by this massive storm, but the flooding it caused actually made two dams burst.
Starting point is 00:18:36 So they ended up getting hit with flooding on top of flooding. And rescue workers there have described the situation as catastrophic and detail how literally whole neighborhoods have been washed away. Also making things harder for rescue and cleanup efforts is the fact that local hospitals and morgues are full. So whether rescuers find someone dead or alive, there's not exactly somewhere to send them. It's at a point where one doctor even said there are no first-hand emergency services. People are working at the moment to collect the rotting bodies. And on top of all this bad news is the fact that Libya's political situation is a shit show. So there are
Starting point is 00:19:01 various administrations all with competing authority, and that's heavily limiting resources and manpower in many parts of the country. That being said, though, it appears that many other countries are putting aside any issues they have with one administration or another to send aid. And with all this, it's important to know that while large storms aren't uncommon in the Mediterranean, and Daniel had actually pummeled Greece last week before picking up more steam as across the sea, what is very different is the intensity of these storms. This year has been record-breaking hot for the Mediterranean, and that warm water fuels these massive storms. But they're pretty much a tropical storm or a hurricane, they're just in a smaller body of water. While this has been an exceptional summer, with climate
Starting point is 00:19:31 change going the way that it's been going, it's expected that these storms will become increasingly common. So unfortunately, expect more stories like this. And then this Colorado Trump situation is kind of wild. So despite the fact that he has been indicted in four criminal cases, there's actually nothing in the Constitution that can prevent Trump from running or being elected. And I mean, like, even if he is literally found guilty and imprisoned, he could be the president. But there is a legal theory that argues that Trump is ineligible to hold office under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, that notably being ratified after the Civil War to prevent former Confederate officials from becoming members of the government that they had just rebelled against. And specifically, the provision bans anyone who has taken an oath to support the U.S. Constitution from holding office if they have, quote,
Starting point is 00:20:05 Now, notably, Congress can remove the ban, but only if two-thirds of both chambers vote to do so. So this idea that this provision could disqualify Trump has been gaining traction recently, including on the right. And that, after a pair of prominent conservative constitutional scholars wrote an article concluding that Trump's actions amounted to engaging in an insurrection. With the two arguing that there is a broad definition of what constitutes an insurrection, and that, despite its initial use in the post-Civil War period, the provision still has force today. Actually, to that point, the same provision was successfully used last year to ban a county commissioner in New Mexico from holding office because he participated in the January 6th insurrection, and that being the first time it was used in over a century. But also beyond that,
Starting point is 00:20:40 the article goes on to claim that this provision sets up an automatic qualification for those running for office. Meaning that it's no different from the constitutional requirement that people need to be at least 35 years old to be eligible for the presidency. Now, one of the biggest things here is that is just a legal interpretation. That by itself does not have any impact on the reality that we're facing right now. But the reason we're talking about this now is because a group of six Republican and unaffiliated voters in Colorado filed a lawsuit using this argument to attempt to block Trump from appearing on the state's Republican primary ballot. With that suit being filed by the watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CRU, which is very notable because that's the same group that brought the New Mexico case that successfully outed the insurrectionist
Starting point is 00:21:15 commissioner. And in the legal complaint, the plaintiffs argued they would be harmed if Trump appeared on the ballot, saying they want to ensure that voters are not casting ballots for someone who is not constitutionally qualified to hold office. And specifically, the voters are requesting that Colorado's Secretary of State keep Trump's name off the Republican primary ballot, and they're asking the court to determine that Trump is disqualified in order to prevent any uncertainty. But notably, the Secretary of State has signaled that she won't act until the matter is resolved in court, saying in a statement, I look forward to the Colorado court's substantive resolution of the issues, and I'm hopeful this case will provide guidance to election officials on Trump's eligibility as a candidate for office.
Starting point is 00:21:45 Now, very notably here, this is not the first effort of this type. We've seen similar issues being raised in other states, where a largely unknown Republican presidential candidate has sued over the issue in New Hampshire, where the Secretary of State has also asked the State Attorney's Office to look into the matter. We also had a judge in Florida recently striking down a challenge to Trump's candidacy based on the 14th Amendment. But there, the judge said that the plaintiffs lacked standing and didn't rule on the merits of whether Trump could be disqualified under the provision. The liberal group Free Speech for People also wrote to the secretaries of state
Starting point is 00:22:08 of several key battlegrounds, urging them to reject Trump on ballots. And actually, to that point, the secretaries of state in Michigan and Arizona have both said they are valid questions about Trump's eligibility. But they also said they don't believe they can settle the matter unilaterally.
Starting point is 00:22:19 And that is also something that's been echoed by Georgia's secretary of state, though he notably has taken a much firmer stance against using the 14th Amendment at all in this context. But still, experts say that the case in Colorado is different from everywhere else we've seen. Arguing this is a serious legal challenge being brought by a prominent group that has major legal resources and has previously scored a win on this front. Additionally, the Colorado challenge has been described as likely being the initial step
Starting point is 00:22:39 in a legal challenge that seems destined for the U.S. Supreme Court. Some experts say that even before it gets that far, if this case is successful, it could create a spillover effect to other states that would then move to keep Trump off their balance. Though, of course, for that to happen, a number of key legal questions would need to be resolved, like what can be considered insurrection, who has the power to enforce the disqualification that Trump has found ineligible, and whether individual voters can prove they are harmed enough to have the standing to sue. But regardless, Crew has said that it plans to file similar suits in other states and that it anticipates other organizations to do the same.
Starting point is 00:23:06 And actually, just today, we saw free speech for people filing a lawsuit in Minnesota also seeking to ban Trump from appearing on the ballot there on 14th Amendment grounds. So whether you agree or disagree with it, this is going to be something to keep an eye on. And then let's talk about yesterday today. Yesterday, we talked about a number of things, but the comments were focused on just a few stories. With that being in addition to people saying, you know, they love having this segment now. You know, on that whole Ash and Kutcher Milakuna situation, you had a lot of people sharing their own stories about why they were feeling what they were feeling.
Starting point is 00:23:29 With comments like, this makes me so angry. My ex was a terribly abusive person and assaulted me tens of times over the course of our relationship before I escaped it. I know he told people about some of what happened, but his friends and family refused to tell the police about what they heard or even speak to me about it.
Starting point is 00:23:41 You had some revealing they'd just be kind of at a loss if someone that close to them was an abuser. saying it's just so surreal that you don't want to believe in it. Emotionally, it's a dilemma because you feel like you'll be betraying them. However, the best thing for them and everyone else is to really lock him up. Though you had some chiming in saying what Ashton and Mila did here wasn't uncommon, with comments like, as someone who works in the criminal legal defense field as a legal assistant, character reference letters are incredibly common. Regardless of the crime, we always ask for clients to get character reference letters from friends, family, co-workers as a way to paint them in a better light to the prosecution. Granted,
Starting point is 00:24:07 Ashton and Mila didn't need to write letters. It's completely voluntary, but the purpose of CRLs are they have to talk positively about the defendant regardless of what they've done. So when I saw that people wrote CRLs for Masterson, I wasn't surprised. But I completely understand why people are disgusted by the language of the letters. Hell, sometimes I get uncomfortable reading my clients' letters and seeing people talk highly about some absolutely disgusting people. And then, kind of surprising to me, the second story that really took over the comments section was about the blood shortage. With comments like, I'm a frequent blood donator, gallon pin holder. But the American Red Cross failed to state that they are also short-staffed and blood donation drives are often flooded with people waiting to
Starting point is 00:24:38 donate but can't wait one to two hours, even with appointments, so they end up having to leave. The American Red Cross needs to staff their donation sites so that quicker donations can take place. People can't wait around for hours to donate. We are working and taking care of our families in the roughest economic situation in a while. We don't have the time to waste. And I will say, when I just searched the word blood through the comments, the sheer number of people
Starting point is 00:24:56 who talked about having a hard time trying to donate blood, it was wild. Whether it be because of restrictions, the time commitment, the treatment by staff, it was honestly so disappointing to see so many people having similar stories. And that is where today's dive into the news is going to end. Again, if you like these extra long shows, let us know by hitting that like button. But as always, my name's Philip DeFranco.
Starting point is 00:25:14 You've just been filled in. I love your faces. And I'll see you right back here for more news tomorrow.

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